Topical Bonzette

1925
Silent
5m

It's the canine o'clock news as George Studdy's loveable cartoon pup Bonzo takes on the newsreels

If you have a bone to pick with fake news, then try the canine variety. Britain's first cartoon star was Bonzo the dog, birthed in George Studdy's one page drawings in 'The Sketch' and then brought to life in this 24 part animated series. Here Bonzo takes on the newsreels, and whether it is grand openings, fashion shows, or sport, the bashful Bonzo remains a loveable comic presence.

Animated cartoon spoof of the Topical Budget newsreel - "Having received many complaints from canine cinema-goers that their viewpoint in not considered, Bonzo offers this topical Bonzette". Features openings, events and sports.

Creatures Great and Small

Fur, feathers, bugs or beaks: from the start animators have cast the whole natural world in their human comedies and dramas

Would you know Mickey was a mouse if you didn’t know his surname? Many of the most famous animated characters are drawn from the animal kingdom, but they rarely behave quite as nature intended. Anthropomorphism has a long history in storytelling - going back to Aesop and beyond - and animation has imported it into film. But whether it's Bonzo the Dog or Charley the Cat, these characters are really studies in human nature.